Hat-box.



Patented Dec. 3, l90l. J. G. REBER.

HAT BOX.

3 sheets sheet I.

(N0 Model.)

Patented Dec. 3, I901.

3 Sheets Sheet 3.

M 0 9 I 1 n v E B m B R w .Mm m J. m. D. m om 6 9 7 l 8 M 6 0 I 0 N mUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. REBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. W. SEFTONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND ANDERSON, INDIANA, ACORPORATION OF INDIANA.

HAT-

Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 687,968, datedDecember 3, 1901.

Application filed March 8,1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. REBER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, in the State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inHat-Boxes, of which the following is adescription, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Myinven'tion relates to collapsible or knockdown boxes made of heavypaper or paperboard and adapted more particularly for the reception ofladies hats and bonnets; and it has for its object the production of asuperior 5 box of this character which may be made from less stock, andconsequently at less cost, than those heretofore in use. be hereinafterset forth, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of thecomplete box in closed box form; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the boxin collapsed form, ready for storage or shipment in compact form priorto use; Fig. 3, a view corresponding to Fig. 2 with the box partiallyopened out; Fig. 4, another similar view with the box still furtheropened out; Fig. 5, another view with the box in open position ready forthe reception of a hat or 0 bonnet; Fig. 6, a similar View with one endof the box closed and the side extensions at the opposite ends of thebox folded inward ready for the end of the box to be brought upward toclosed position, and Figs..7 and 8 perspective views showing amodification.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inthe several views.

My novel box (shown, in Figs. 1 to 6) is composed of a rectangularbottom portion A, two end walls B 0, preferably constituting integralend extensions of the bottom A and provided with short extensions or endflaps a a, a rectangular top D smaller than the bottom A and connectedto the latter by trapezoidalshaped side walls E F, provided with endextensions or flaps b. The top D and sides E F, with their extensions1), are preferably formed of a single piece of material, and the sidesare provided at their lower edges with pasting-flaps 0, adapted to bepasted to the Its novelty will Serial No. 50,364. (No model.)

upper surface of the bottom portion A at its opposite edges. The endwalls 13 O are likewise trapezoidal in shape, their bases correspondingin length to the width of the bottom portion A of the box and their topscorre sponding to the width of the top D of the box. The box thus formedis opened out into the shape shown in Fig. 5 to receive the hat orbonnet, after which the end flaps b of the sides E F are folded inwardat the opposite ends of the box, as in Fig. 6, and the end Walls B Cthen brought upward and inward against them and their end extensions a atucked in beneath the top D between the latter and the upper ends of theextensions 1) b, Fig. 1, and the parts secured in box form by tying thestrings d, which are secured to the end walls B O for that purpose.

For purposes of storage and shipment in compact form prior to use thebox maybe read- 70 ily collapsed and folded into the flat form 7 shownin Fig. 2, being first opened outward from the position shown in Fig.6to thatshown in Fig. 5, then the side E and connected end of the top Dpressed inward and downward, as shown in Fig. 4, and the top D and sideF then allowed to drop upon the side E, as shown in Fig. 3, after whichthe end walls B C may be folded over upon the top and sides, as 1 shownin Fig. 2. This collapsing and folding of the box into flat form withinthe area of its rectangular base or bottom is provided for by soproportioning the bottom, sides, and top of the box relatively to eachother that the length of each of the sides E F equals onehalf the sum ofthe widths of the top and bottom between said sides or, in other words,so that one-half the width of the top will equal the difierence betweenthe length of one of the sides and one-half the width of the bottom.Under these proportions the width of the top will correspond to thedistance between the upper edges of the sides when the latter lie flatupon one another on the bottom of the box, and hence permit them to be 5readily collapsed to and opened out from that position. By followingthese proportions the proper-sized top for any given-sized bottom andsides or the proper sides for any givensized top and bottom may bereadily deter- 10c mined, so that the completed box will fold uponitself in the manner described. Thus the box illustrated in the drawingshas a twelve-inch bottom, ten-inch sides, and eight- 5 inch top. If itwere desired to provide it with a six-inch top, its sides would have tobe made nine inches in length, while a teninch top would require sideseleven inches in length, and so on.

I am of course aware that collapsible paper boxes having rectangulartop, bottom, and sides hinged upon and permanently connected to eachother are old, and I am also avt are that collapsible paper boxes havingtrapezoidal-shaped sides connectinga rectangular bottom with a two-partseparable top of less size are old; but so far as I am aware I am thefirst in the art to produce a collapsible paper box having a rectangularbottom, trapezoidalshaped sides, and a single-piece top, all permanentlyconnected or hinged together, so that the top and sides may be collapsedand pressed down flat upon the bottom without any disconnection of onefrom the other. A box of the character described having its top andbottom connected by trapezoidal-shaped sides is not only stronger andmore rigid than a box having rectangular sides and ends connecting a topand bottom of equal size and more nearly approximates the shape of thearticle it is intended to hold, but by forming such box from twoseparate pieces of stock, one comprising the bottom and the two ends B Cand their extensions and the other the top and two sides E F, I amenabled to provide the triangular corner-flaps or side extensions b'forclosing the corners of the box and yet; cut the box from stock of thesame width as the bottomof the box, which permits a material saving ofstock and consequent economy in the manufacture of such boxes and is aresult not attainable in boxes having rectangular sides and ends or inboxes formed from asingle piece of stock and having trapezoidal-shapedsides and ends. Thus in a box 'such as mine having a twelve-inch bottomand an eight-inch top each of the sides E F may be provided with sideextensions or corner-flaps Z) two inches wide at their top and taperingto points at their lower ends and the box yet be cut from stock onlytwelve inches wide, whereas to provide two-inch side extensions orcorner-flaps integral with the sides of a rectangular box having atwelveinch bottom it would be necessary to cut the box from stocksixteen inches wide. A box having trapezoidal-shaped sides and out froma single piece of paper of course requires even wider stock and involvesstill greater expense of manufacture, while the additional advantages ofmy box, due to its single-piece top permanently connected to the sidesand bottom, as compared with a similarly-shaped box having a two-parttop the halves of which must overlap and be connected together byinterlocking tongues and slits -or otherwise in assembling the box andbe disconnected from each other in order to collapse it into flat formare obvious. Substantially the same advantages and result may beattained by providing the end walls 13 C of the box with the sideextensions 1) b, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, instead of providing saidextensions upon the sidewalls E F, as in Figs. 1 to 6, as will bereadily understood, in which event the side extensions b of said ends BC will be bent inwr'gqei at approximately right angles to said ends andtucked within the side walls E F when the end walls are brought up toclosed position, as in Fig. 7. In this case also the end extensions 0. aof the end walls B C will overlap and be bent down upon the top D of thebox, as in Fig. 7, instead of being tucked in beneath said top andbetween the latter and the upper ends of the extensions b, as in Fig. 1.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. A collapsiblepaperbox having a bottom, top and sides, the top and sides beinghingedtogether so as to fold inwardly into fiat form with the top between thesides; substantially as described.

2. A collapsible paper box having a rectangular bottom, a smallerrectangular top formed or" a single piece, and trapezoidalshaped sideshinged to said bottom and top; substantially as described.

3. A collapsible paper box having a rectangular bottom, a smallerrectangular top formed of a single piece, and trapezoidalshaped sides,hinged together so as to fold inwardly into fiat form within the area ofthe bottom of the box without disconnection of one from the other;substantially as described. I

4. A collapsible paper box having a rectangular bottom, a smallerrectangular top formed of a single piece, two trapezoidalshaped endwalls hinged to said bottom and formed integral therewith, and twotrapezoidal-shaped side walls hinged to'said top and formed integraltherewith and hinged at their lower ends to the opposite edges of thebottom of the box, said top and side walls being collapsible inwardlyinto flat form upon the bottom of the box and end walls foldable overthem, so that the entire box may be collapsed into fiat form within thearea of its bottom; substantially as described.

5. A collapsible paper box having trape zoidal-shaped side and end wallstwo opposite ones of which are provided with integral tri angular-shapedside extensions or cornerflaps tapering to a point from their upper totheir lower ends and adapted to be folded inward beneath and confined bythe other two walls, to close the corners of the box; substantially asdescribed.

6. A collapsible paper box comprising a rectangular bottom, a smallerrectangular top, two trapezoidal-shaped end walls hinged to said bottom,and two trapezoidal-shaped side walls hinged at their upper ends to thetop and at their lower ends to the bottom of the box, two opposite onesof said four walls being also provided with integral triangularshapedside extensions or corner-flaps tapering to a point from their upper totheir lower ends and adapted to be folded inward beneath and confined bythe other two walls, to close the corners of the box; substantially asdescribed.

7. A collapsible paper box comprising a rectangular top formed of asingle piece, a rectangular bottom, and trapezoidal-shaped side and endwalls hinged to said bottom, two of said walls being hinged at theirupper edges to the opposite edges of the single-piece top, and two ofthem being provided with integral triangular-shaped side extensions orcornerfiaps tapering from their upper to their lower ends and adapted tobe folded inward beneath and confined by the other two walls, to closethe corners of the box; substantially as described.

8. A collapsible paper box com prisin ga rectangular bottom,trapezoidal-shaped end walls hinged to the opposite sides thereof andformed integral therewith, a rectangular top, trapezoidal-shaped sideWalls hinged at their upper edges to opposite sides of said top andformed integral therewith and hinged at their lower edges to oppositesides of the bottom, and two of said walls on the opposite sides of thebox being provided with integral triangular-shaped side extensions orcorner-flaps tapering from their upper to their lower ends and adaptedto be folded inward beneath and confined by the other two walls, toclose the corners of the box; substantially as described.

9. A collapsible paper box comprisinga rectangular bottom, a smallerrectangular top formed of a single piece, trapezoidal-shaped end wallshinged to the opposite edges of the bottom, trapezoidal-shaped sidewalls hinged at their lower ends to opposite edges of the bottom and attheir upper ends to opposite edges of the sin gle-piece top and providedwith integral triangular-shaped side extensions or corner-flaps taperingfrom their upper to their lower ends and adapted to be folded inwardbeneath and confined by the end walls, to close the corners of the box;substantially as described.

10. The herein-described collapsible box, composed of the bottom A, thetrapezoidalshaped end walls B C hinged thereto and provided with the endextensions (1 a, the top D, the trapezoidal-shaped side walls E F hingedat their upper edges to the opposite edges of the top D and at theirlower edges to the opposite edges of the bottom A, and the extensions bb tapering from their upper ends to points at their lower ends andhinged to two opposite walls of the box and serving to close the cornersof the box, substantially as set forth.

11. The herein-described collapsible box, composed of the bottom A, thetrapezoidalshaped end walls B O hinged thereto and provided with theextensions 0, a, the top D, and the trapezoidal-shaped side walls E Fhinged at their upper edges to the opposite edges of the top D, and attheir lower edges to the opposite edges of the bottom A, and provided attheir opposite edges with the extensions 17 b tapering from their upperends to points at their lower ends and adapted to be inturned andconfined by the end Walls B O substantially as set forth.

12. The herein-described collapsible box, composed of the bottom A, thetrapezoidalshaped end walls B C constituting integral end extensions ofthe bottom A and themselves provided with the end extensions on a andthe strings d, the top D, the trapezoidal-shaped side walls E F formedintegral with the top D and separate from the bottom A and end walls B Oand provided at their lower edges with the inturned pasting-flaps c cpasted to the bottom A at its opposite edges, and the extensions b bformed integral with two opposite walls of the box and serving to closethe cor.- ners thereof, substantially as set forth.

13. The herein-described collapsible box, composed of the bottom A, thetrapezoidalshaped end walls B O constituting integral end extensions ofthe bottom A and themselves provided with the end extensions at a andthe strings d, the top D, and the trapezoidalshaped side walls E Fformed integral there= with and separate from the bottom Aand end wallsB O and provided at their opposite edges with the extensions 12 b and attheir lower edges with the inturned pasting-flaps c c pasted to thebottom A at its opposite edges,'substantially as set forth.

JOHN G. REBER. Witnesses:

EDWARD REoToR, FLORENCE KING.

